Headlines praise their popularity. News reports boast the beacon of hope they provide to those looking for jobs. We’re talking libraries, and they’re bursting at the proverbial seams.

At Hennepin County Library, we saw nearly a 2.5 percent increase in circulation from 2007 to 2008. That translates into more than 16.5 million items being checked out (and checked back in). In 2008 there were nearly 16 million visits to both Minneapolis and Hennepin County website home pages. Program attendance reached nearly 200,000 participants. The number of people using our 1,750 public computers for job searching, database access and general Web surfing continues to rise.

While our nation begins the process to right itself economically, we will remain in a world that needs libraries more than ever. Luckily, we live in the right place for great libraries.

Hennepin County Library is now ranked No. 4 in American library systems that serve a population of 500,000 or more, according to Hennen’s American Public Libraries Ratings 2008. Library Journal’s Index of Public Library Service has named Hennepin County Library a Five-Star Library in March, a ranking determined by measuring per-capita checkouts, visits, program attendance and public Internet use.

I am proud of the national recognition Hennepin County Library receives. I’m even more proud of the individual recognition you give us via online feedback, fan mail and face-to-face testimonials.

2009 brings enormous budget challenges for everyone, including Hennepin County Library. We will need to change the way we deliver service. But I promise you the Library will remain an essential institution by staying relevant to your needs. We will meet this goal thanks to dedicated library staff members, the Library Foundation of Hennepin County, Friends of Hennepin County Library and volunteers. What follows is a brief look at 2008 accomplishments. Join me in looking back, and I invite you to also look forward as we navigate 2009 together.

Everyone deserves a great library,

Lois Langer Thompson, Director

“Birth-to-six is an excellent website for parents and caretakers of young children. I viewed it with my 3-year-old granddaughter. We both enjoyed it. I will definitely tell others about it.” – Grandparent and library customer.

Whether it’s an innovative website or tried-and-true storytime, Hennepin County Library supports early literacy. In 2008, Hennepin County Library won a National Association of Counties best of category achievement award for its World Language Storytimes series in promoting reading readiness in diverse populations.

“I really appreciate all the library does for teens and kids during the summer, it really encourages them to read, and the Library makes it a lot of fun!” - Teenage library customer

With the merger, Hennepin County Library combined two successful after-school programs to create Homework Hub at 13 libraries. 2008 also saw the grand opening of the Franklin Teen Center, which draws 30 to 50 youths daily.

“I had one day here where it seemed that just about everyone was looking for a job and applying online. …At one point, I had four customers all sitting side-by-side job searching for jobs on various sites… I noticed them working with one another, offering advice and information on various sites they had used in the past… As one woman left, she told me she had no idea there was so much information on job searching and liked that the library had the information all in one place.” - Augsburg Park librarian and library customer

Development for a fifth Jobs and Small Business Center began in 2008. Located at Southdale Library, this center helps support the increasing demand for these kinds of services. Throughout all Hennepin County Library, 692 people attended summer 2008 programs related to jobs and small business support; 850 attended fall 2008 programs. Hits to jobs and small business-related Web pages increased between 13.2 percent and 98.4 percent. Jobs and small business research database usage is up 75 percent.

"I love the interlibrary loans; they have been such a tremendous help for research and for pleasure. Thank you for offering that service. Thank you also for offering materials to people who are homebound. They have lost so much; it's nice that you're able to give something back." – Library customer

Hennepin County Library’s 55+ Web page received the American Library Association’s honorable mention award in its best-of-show competition. Submissions were judged on content, originality, design, format and effectiveness.

The Friends of the Rogers Library’s "Senior Tech Day" program was awarded the Minnesota Association of Library Friends' Evy Nordley Award. The Friends partnered with Best Buy to demonstrate five devices of interest to seniors: MP3 players, digital cameras, cell phones, high definition TVs and laptop computers. Young, tech-savvy Best Buy associates worked with the seniors and even challenged them to games of Wii bowling and other electronic sports.

"I just used your Spanish language welcome page with a student here at St. Thomas. The web page is great. I was able to help the student to get information in Spanish so she can do research. Thank you!" - Library customer

• Sunday hours were added at 13 libraries, thanks to ballpark sales tax revenue funding,
• In 2008. Hennepin County Library developed partnerships with Hennepin County departments to deliver programs and services focused on economic and social issues, such as foreclosure workshops and veteran information. Major programs expanded so they are now offered at libraries across the County, such as "Guys Read" and The Loft Literary Center’s co-sponsored writing labs.
• Thirty-six staff members are certified to serve customers in eight languages.

Two groundbreakings took place in 2008. Construction at Maple Grove and Plymouth libraries is well underway, with anticipated grand openings in 2010. Brooklyn Park, Excelsior, Nokomis, Northeast, Southdale and Webber Park projects also made strides in various phases of development...more